Rule 6.4 - Apprentice Court Reporter(a) The Commission must grant an apprenticeship to an applicant who: (1) passes any subpart of Part A of the examination required by Section 154.103(b) of the Government Code during the two-year period immediately preceding the date of application in accordance with Rule 3.10(d);(2) passes Part B of the examination required by Section 154.103(c) of the Government Code;(3) passes a criminal history background check; and(4) submits one of the following to the Commission:(A) a letter from a court reporting school verifying that the applicant is a student at that school enrolled in an upper speed class and can report at least 200 words per minute;(B) a certificate of completion from a court reporting school; or(C) references, work product, or other evidence of performing shorthand reporting services in a jurisdiction that does not license or certify shorthand reporters in a satisfactory manner for three years of the five-year period immediately preceding the date of the application for an apprenticeship certification.(b) An apprentice shorthand reporter must not report a hearing before a court but may provide reporting and transcription services for other proceedings and depositions, other than depositions of an expert witness, provided that the apprentice provides the reporting and transcription services under the direct supervision of a certified shorthand reporter who has been certified in good standing for at least ten years ("supervising shorthand reporter"). An apprentice shorthand reporter who becomes a fully certified shorthand reporter may transcribe a record he or she reported as an apprentice. A supervising shorthand reporter must prepare the transcript of a record taken by an apprentice under the supervising reporter's supervision after the conclusion of the apprenticeship if the apprentice is not certified as a shorthand reporter when the transcript is requested. (c) An apprentice shorthand reporter is subject, as applicable, to the laws, rules, code of ethics, uniform format manual, orders, and other requirements of the Commission and is subject to discipline by the Commission.(d) An applicant for an apprenticeship must include the proposed supervising shorthand reporter's name and certification number on the application and, upon applying, must file a statement of the supervising shorthand reporter attesting to the supervising shorthand reporter's agreement to supervise the apprentice and assume responsibility for the work of the apprentice.(e) An apprentice shorthand reporter must create an audio backup of each deposition or other proceeding authorized by subsection (b) that the apprentice reports. The certification page of each transcript reported by an apprentice must include the supervising shorthand reporter's name, certification number, and signature. The apprentice must file steno notes, text files, and audio backup with the supervising reporter no later than five days after the date of the conclusion of the deposition or other authorized proceeding reported by the apprentice. The supervising shorthand reporter must maintain for the duration of the apprenticeship a log of every transcript prepared by an apprentice and signed by the supervising shorthand reporter.(f) A supervising shorthand reporter must not be related within the second degree by affinity (marriage) or within the third degree by consanguinity (blood or adoption) to an apprentice the supervising shorthand reporter is supervising. A supervising shorthand reporter must not supervise his or her employer as an apprentice. A supervising shorthand reporter must not supervise any other person who has supervisory authority over the shorthand reporter in any employment or professional capacity.(g) A supervising shorthand reporter must not supervise more than two apprentices at a time.(h) A supervising shorthand reporter whose certification expires, is revoked, or is suspended, or who voluntarily surrenders his or her certification, must not continue as a supervisor and must notify all apprentices under his or her supervision that he or she cannot continue as a supervisor.(i) An apprentice shorthand reporter must take Part A of the examination at least two times per year during the apprenticeship. An apprentice shorthand reporter must submit written proof of taking the examination to the supervising shorthand reporter. The supervising shorthand reporter must inform the Commission if the apprentice does not comply with the examination requirement. The Commission may terminate the apprenticeship of an apprentice who fails to take Part A of the examination at least two times per year.(j) A supervising shorthand reporter must inform the Commission if the apprenticeship should be further restricted, the apprenticeship should be terminated, or if the supervisor ceases to supervise the apprentice. A supervising shorthand report is responsible for the quality and timeliness of transcriptions performed under the supervising shorthand reporter's supervision. A supervisor shorthand reporter may be subject to disciplinary action for the conduct and work performance of an apprentice under the supervising shorthand reporter's supervision. (k) An apprentice shorthand reporter must provide written notice of the apprenticeship to the attorney who is taking the deposition or retaining court reporting services at another proceeding at least five days before the deposition or other proceeding or, if the apprentice receives the assignment within five days of the depositions or other proceeding, as soon as practicable before the deposition or other proceeding.(l) An apprentice shorthand reporter must use a full professional version of computer-aided transcription (CAT) software without page limitations in order to report a deposition or other authorized proceeding.(m) An apprenticeship must not last longer than two years, except an apprenticeship may be extended until the apprentice receives the results of Part A of the examination if the examination results are outstanding at the end of the two-year apprenticeship period. A period of disciplinary suspension does not prolong the two-year period of the apprenticeship.Tex. R. Judi. Cert. Commi. 6.4
Amended effective 9/1/2020; amended effective 11/17/2023.